Beef Hash and some German Lager.

Oven fries, wedges, chipped potatoes, carrots, parsnips all come out brilliantly. I especially like the taste of the carrots. The thick end of asparagus too.

I've done egg rolls, perogies, chicken nuggets...all good and quicker than the oven.

But yesterday, for the first time I tried roast spuds. Perfect. They even had Jamie Oliver's chuffed up appearance.

I'm particularly glad about this is at Christmas, the turkey takes up so much room in the oven it's been a struggle to roast the parsnips and spuds as well as cook the non-stuffing stuffing.

As part of tonight's supper I sliced an aubergine lengthways, made long slashes and then a few across. A little salt and then sprayed with Pam EV olive oil and roasted.

For the final ten minutes I grated some cheese over and it was delicious.

Needs garlic and added ground beef would work quite well. I got the idea from a recipe that included goats cheese but we didn't have any when I decided I should use the aubergine.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Polite ones?

For aubergine?
Imam Bayaldi, look it up
Baba Ghanouj
or, slice into rounds, fry until dark brown and crisp outside creamy inside, serve with coriander leaf, crushed garlic, olive oil, bread
there are many indian recipes for eggplant
Aubergine fritters

Thanks...I saved that one.

The fried rounds....I had some lovely ones in Crete but whenever I tried they end up as soggy as some of those in Greece. I've tried many ways, same result.

Aubergines? Bin them!

I'd have thought they were essential where you are.

The chicken won't thaw out in time so I think it's going to be bratwurst, sauerkraut, and latkes even though I have no sour cream.

Plenty in the shops and ortos but easy to avoid them, sprouts are preferable by a country mile.
This evening- pasta carbonara- Tesco finest backbacon and NO cream.

Chicken Sophia Loren.

Goodness gracious me.

Unbelievable....I used to like your posts Pica

I want to make a marinara sauce and hammer out a pork cutlet (try saying schnitzel with an Italian accent) and some pasta. I don't want leftovers so I'm going to try to make 1 serving of something for a change. I think the stars are going to be the tomatoes and the little Newfie garlic cloves, they're the size of chokecherries and absolute flavour bombs.
Ima change my mind; I'll grind the pork and make meatballs and bake them then simmer in the sauce. Same ingredients, the breadcrumbs and an egg, just a more traditional approach.
Set off the smoke detector, that hasn't happened in awhile!

Lamb shanks.

I thought I had a 'recipe' saved for this from two years ago when it worked supremely well but the one I found looked too fiddly for something I'd do.

So I'm winging it - sloshed some stock and red win into a jug, added onion, oregano, sage and some flour, then poured it over the shanks.

Cooking a treat so far. Sauce tastes really nice.

Green beans, roast spuds and roast carrots